It has been just over a week since the horrific shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, that claimed the lives of six innocent people, three of them children. The shooter, Audrey Hale, a 28-year-old former student of the school who identified as transgender, was killed by police after a brief exchange of gunfire. Hale left behind a manifesto that detailed months of planning for the attack, as well as admiration for other mass murderers.

While the nation mourns the victims and seeks answers to this senseless act of violence, some on the left have chosen to celebrate Hale as a hero and a martyr. In a shocking display of disrespect and insensitivity, a group of left-wing activists held a vigil outside the school on Saturday, holding up an extra finger, so seven in total, to honor Hale along with the victims.

When the protesters decided to hold a moment of silence, there was a disagreement over how many victims the Nashville shooting had.

Some held up six fingers — other held up seven to commemorate the trans shooter as well. pic.twitter.com/u96ZSjPe34

— Spencer Lindquist 🇺🇸 (@SpencerLndqst) March 30, 2023

“A moment of silence for the innocent victims as well as the shooter?” Not the Bee asked. “Seriously? These people are serious? I hate this so much I’m not even sure how to feel about it. Like, are these people pure evil or are they just an incredible level of stupid? I really, really, really hope it’s that they’re stupid.”

“Would they have raised their hands to support the Pulse mass shooter?” another asked. “NO, because he was a murderer. Parkland? Uvalade? Las Vegas? SHE was not a victim. She was mentally ill. She was a murderer!”

“7 huh? interesting…” another commenter wrote. “Makes them seem very politically neutral, eh? News flash professional leftist protesters… the killer isn’t included in the victim count. Morons.”

This is beyond appalling. How can anyone justify glorifying a cold-blooded killer who targeted innocent children and staff at a school? How can anyone equate Hale’s life with those of the victims, who had their futures cut short by Hale’s bullets? How can anyone ignore the pain and trauma of the survivors and their families, who have to live with the aftermath of this tragedy?

The left’s twisted logic is that Hale was a victim of oppression and discrimination by the Christian school and society at large, and that Hale’s actions were a justified response to years of abuse and rejection. They claim that Hale was driven to violence by the lack of acceptance and support for transgender people, and that Hale’s manifesto was a cry for help that went unheard.

This is nonsense. Hale was not a victim, but a perpetrator. Hale was not oppressed, but privileged. Hale had access to mental health care, as confirmed by Hale’s parents. Hale had legally purchased seven guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Hale had meticulously planned the attack for months, studying maps and drawings of the school. Hale had sent a chilling message to a former classmate minutes before the shooting, saying “something bad is about to happen” . Hale knew exactly what Hale was doing, and Hale did it with malice and premeditation.

There is no excuse for what Hale did. There is no justification for what Hale did. There is no sympathy for what Hale did. And there is no celebration for what Hale did.

The left’s shameful celebration of a mass murderer is an insult to the memory of the victims, an affront to the dignity of the survivors, and an attack on the values of our society.